40 Stunning Fruit Salads You Need to Make NOW

The best way to cool down on a warm day is with a chilled fruit salad. Serve this one for breakfast, brunch or dessert. Yogurt and coconut milk make the creamy dressing even more decadent. Wait until just before serving to garnish the salad. Otherwise the toasted coconut will get soggy. —Carrie Hirsch, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, strawberries and grapes are treated to a dressing of wine and sparkling club soda in this delightful salad. Serve in dessert dishes or set the whole bowl on the table for a fetching presentation. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Want a family-friendly side dish? This colorful medley is kid-pleasing and a great way to encourage healthy eating. —Sharon Ricci, Spooner, Wisconsin

My refreshing side salad is such a nice addition to our calorie-loaded Thanksgiving dinner. Use regular oranges if you can't find blood oranges. Finely chopped walnuts work well in place of the pomegranate seeds, too. —Nancy Heishman, Las Vegas, Nevada

Filled with the season’s best and freshest fruit, this salad shouts summer. The hint of mint adds a refreshing note to the colorful compote.—Edie DeSpain, Logan, Utah

Easy to prepare, cool and colorful, this refreshing, good-for-you fruit salad is a springtime favorite. —Peggy Mills, Texarkana, Arkansas

Orange, grapefruit and jicama add color and texture to this out-of-the-ordinary fruit salad. Sometimes I'll toss in slices of mango and cucumber for extra fun. —Mary Fuller, SeaTac, Washington

This dessert is delicious and decadent, yet is chock-full of healthy fruit with a creamy lime dressing; the blueberries provide a lovely pop of color. —Laura Stricklin, Jackson, Mississippi

Fresh mint adds bright flavor to this easy, quick and low-fat pineapple salad. Give it a berry twist by using blueberries and raspberries in place of the grapes, but don't forget the secret dressing ingredient—lemonade! —Janie Colle, Hutchinson, Kansas

On long summer days when we just want to relax, I make a cool salad with avocado, berries and mint. The tangerine dressing is refreshingly different. —Carole Resnick, Cleveland, Ohio

This fluffy salad is a welcome treat on warm Texas afternoons. Because there's a blueberry orchard near our home, we often pick up berries to use in this recipe and others. When blueberries and strawberries aren't in season, you can substitute frozen berries with equally good results. —Karen Wenzel, Conroe, Texas

We first tried a cream cheese fruit salad like this at a local deli. Since I couldn't get that recipe, I started mixing up different dressings until I hit on this one. Now I make this refreshing delightful salad for every picnic and get-to-gether. It can be a snack, side dish or dessert. —Connie Osterhout, Napoleon, Ohio

I've been making this recipe for years. Whenever my family has a summer get-together, everyone requests it. The nectarines and berries look beautiful together, and the topping is the perfect accent. —Mindee Myers, Lincoln, Nebraska

I enjoyed a salad like this at a tropical-inspired restaurant. I tried to get the staff to give me the recipe but had no luck. So I went home and created my own! I will sometimes drain a can of mandarin orange slices and toss those in as well. —Shirley Turpin, Williams, Minnesota

With fiber-rich fruit, light dressing and crunchy walnuts, this is a great side dish or snack. Try it with low-fat granola. —Kathy Armstrong, Post Falls, Idaho

For a fruit salad that’s delightful, we combine berries and citrus with a honey-lime dressing flecked with poppy seeds. —Carrie Howell, Lehi, Utah

My four year old twin grandchildren love to cook and create in the kitchen with me. Last summer, the three of us were experimenting with watermelon and cheese and that's where this recipe began. It's ideal for neighborhood gatherings and picnics, or as a healthy snack on a hot summer day. —Gwendolyn Vetter, Rogers, Minnesota

Just looking at this bright red salad cheers me up—and then I get to taste it! For garnish, sprinkle on fresh chives and mild white cheese. —Lorraine Caland, Shuniah, Ontario

The orange dressing on this salad complements the fresh fruit flavors beautifully. It’s perfect for a spring or summer brunch. —Karen Bourne, Magrath, Alberta

The simple citrus and poppy seed dressing in this fruit medley really dresses up the refreshing mix of berries and melon. —R. Jean Rand, Edina, Minnesota

Guests of all ages will gravitate to this traditional “fluff” salad, chock-full of pineapple, marshmallows and cherry bits. —Janice Hensley, Owingsville, Kentucky

I remember being excited right before Thanksgiving and Christmas, because that's when my family made this salad. There were five children and only the oldest helped peel the apples. It was fun when one of our boyfriends would come for the holiday for the first time. My dad would give him a huge bowl of grapes, hand him a sharp paring knife and tell him to start peeling. We all kept a straight face until he had the first grape peeled. —Debra Slone, Crossville, Tennessee

Watermelon and tomatoes may seem an unlikely pair, but they team up to make a winning combination in this eye-catching salad. —Matthew Denton, Seattle, Washington

I picked up this dish a couple of years ago, and really like the mint and fruit combo. Cilantro is one of my summer favorites so sometimes I use it instead. Turns out, this recipe's really two in one! —Kayla Spence, Wilber, Nebraska

A simple blend of syrup, orange juice and caramel topping forms the light dressing for the fresh berries and the crunchy cashews found in this sensational salad. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

This appealing fruit salad is a lovely addition to breakfast, lunch or even supper. Light and refreshing, it's perfect alongside egg bakes, sausages and other hearty staples you find on breakfast buffets. —Millie Vickery, Lena, Illinois

I invented this refreshing fruit salad one sultry afternoon while my friends were gathered around my pool. It was quick and easy to prepare and disappeared from their plates even quicker. Even the kids loved it! —Antoinette DuBeck, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania

This gelatin is enjoyed by everyone because you just can't go wrong with fresh berries. —Nicole Nemeth, Komoka, Ontario

Put the taste of summer in your salad! Loaded with juicy cantaloupe and honeydew and glazed with a sweet honey dressing, this dish will be gone in minutes. Watermelon is a great addition, too. —Khurshid Shaik, Omaha, Nebraska

Everyone raves when I bring this refreshing, creamy salad to potlucks. For a special finishing touch, sprinkle it with brown sugar and pecans. —Marge Elling, Jenison, Michigan

People always pass on compliments when I take this salad to covered-dish suppers. It's nice on a hot day...with a winter meal...or as a dessert! We live on a small farm where my garden gives me lots of possibilities for fresh food. —Page Alexander, Baldwin City, Kansas

I wanted my family to eat more fruit but not more sugary ingredients. This berry salad lets you play with different low-fat yogurts and fruits. —Betsy King, Duluth, Minnesota

All the flavors of the popular mojito cocktail are featured in this fantastic salad. After you eat the fruit, you’ll want to sip the luscious syrup! —Marcy Griffith, Excelsior, Minnesota

Cranberries grow in the coastal area about 50 miles from our home. When they become available, I always make this creamy salad. —Faye Huff, Longview, Washington

The glorious colors used here make this a great summer fruit bowl. Slightly sweet and chilled, it makes a nice accompaniment to a grilled entree. —Marlon Kirst, Troy, Michigan

Nothing is more refreshing to me than a seasonal fruit salad enhanced with this simple honey-lime dressing. —Victoria Shevlin, Cape Coral, Florida

This was originally my daughter's recipe, and she or I will make it for one or more of our holiday get-togethers. It can be served as a fruit salad along with the meal or as a light dessert. It's particularly pretty in a cut-glass bowl on a buffet. —Ruth Bolduc, Conway, New Hampshire

I first tasted this rich fruit salad at my wedding reception many years ago. The ladies who did the cooking wouldn't share the recipe at the time, but I eventually got it. I've made it for many meals, and our daughters copied the recipe when they married. —Eileen Duffeck, Lena, Wisconsin

Aunt Marion, my namesake, is like a grandma to me. She gave me this luscious salad recipe, which goes to all our family reunions, hunt club suppers and snowmobile club picnics...and I go home with no leftovers! —Marion LaTourette, Honesdale, Pennsylvania